Swedish eyewear model Chimi goes world, opening its first retailer in New York Metropolis at 110 Grand Avenue.
“Launching Chimi in America displays not solely our model’s journey but additionally a bigger cultural second,” mentioned cofounder Charlie Lindström. “At Chimi, we mix influences from throughout the design spectrum, our frames problem conference; they’re daring, colourful, and unapologetically playful, very similar to the postmodern architectural icons that dared to reshape skylines and views alike.”
Based in 2016 by Lindström and his childhood buddy Daniel Djurdjevicin in Stockholm, Chimi has garnered a little bit of a cool-kid following with Hailey Bieber, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Kendall Jenner, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé all carrying the frames. In line with the model, its philosophy is one in all “futuristic simplicity” with a imaginative and prescient to translate the pursuit of steadiness in merchandise and experiences. Each product — primarily eyewear, but additionally furnishings and a small edit of ready-to-wear — is developed in Stockholm.
Chimi NYC at 110 Grand Avenue.
Courtesy Chimi
“In the present day, eyewear isn’t only a useful accent — it’s an architectural piece for the face, a press release of particular person model. We took cues from deconstructivist beliefs, breaking down conventional shapes and creating frames which are structurally compelling but wearable,”Lindström mentioned. “There’s additionally a rawness in our design that’s aligned with Brutalism: a love for honesty in supplies, like acetate in its purest, most expressive kind, whether or not in translucent tints or deep matte.”
The brand new SoHo retailer places them on a world stage with their tackle Scandinavian design, that includes parabolic shapes prominently all through, with curved partitions making a prism-like impact to reinforce the expertise at key factors inside the area. Utilizing flowing but distorted components — from the partitions to the furnishings and even the outsized round mild fixture — the shop is supposed to reflect the signature curves of the model’s eyewear.
“After I first visited New York in 2012 with my mother, we wandered by way of each road in SoHo, absorbing the neighborhood’s artistic power. I grew to become obsessive about this power and wished to be part of it, to contribute to it. That’s why it’s been so essential to me that this retail expertise is one thing past the strange. I would like individuals to stroll previous or into our retailer and really feel as impressed as I did again then,” Lindström mentioned.
Chimi NYC at 110 Grand Avenue.
Courtesy Chimi
Eyewear ranges from $165 to $260 and Lindström’s model has partnered with H&M, Ameila Grey and composer Jacob Mühlrad on a mixture of tasks, increasing past eyewear.
“This new flagship retailer is not only a retail area for me — it’s an extension of Chimi’s design philosophy. This interaction of kind, shadow, and lightweight goes hand in hand with the model ethos — the place revolutionary design meets timeless enchantment,” Lindström mentioned.